INSTEON is coming to Australia...sure but when?

[wombiroller]

I noticed this page in my travels:
http://www.smarthome.com.au/homeautomation/insteon/

I sent them an email asking if they actually have any idea WHEN this might happen (or if they are just collecting email addresses). Will post the response for those who may be interested. Unless anyone else here knows something? 
 

[colinjones]

I noticed this page in my travels:
http://www.smarthome.com.au/homeautomation/insteon/

I sent them an email asking if they actually have any idea WHEN this might happen (or if they are just collecting email addresses). Will post the response for those who may be interested. Unless anyone else here knows something? 
 

Seriously, don't hold your breath! They said that for the EU market over 2 years ago and it still hasn't happened so far as I know. Why would they produce it for the A/NZ market before then? 2 years ago the RF range for ZWave in A/NZ was allocated and still there is not a single product or anyone even talking about developing ZWave for the A/NZ market, and the _only_ difference from the EU products is the power sockets (where needed) and a small change in RF!

[wombiroller]

Yeah - I kinda figured it was more of an email address gathering activity from smarthome.com.au... but thought I should give them the benefit of the doubt.

[wombiroller]

FWIW response received from Smarthome.com.au:

...We are working with the main company to bring it exclusively into Australia but, due to contractual obligations no time frame can be assigned...

[colinjones]

FWIW response received from Smarthome.com.au:

...We are working with the main company to bring it exclusively into Australia but, due to contractual obligations no time frame can be assigned...

You might want to ask them if they are considering ZWave, and if not, why not?!?! I would much prefer that, and suffice to say, there would be vastly fewer changes required to get it working here being that the system voltage and frequency are the same as the EU version. They just need to tweak the RF slightly and put different power socket connectors on the appropriate devices (which they would have to do anyway for Insteon)>...

[wombiroller]

FWIW response received from Smarthome.com.au:

...We are working with the main company to bring it exclusively into Australia but, due to contractual obligations no time frame can be assigned...

You might want to ask them if they are considering ZWave, and if not, why not?!?! I would much prefer that, and suffice to say, there would be vastly fewer changes required to get it working here being that the system voltage and frequency are the same as the EU version. They just need to tweak the RF slightly and put different power socket connectors on the appropriate devices (which they would have to do anyway for Insteon)>...

done. I plagiarised your comment in my reply also TBA.

[wombiroller]

response (note plagiarism  ):


I sent:

I know you can't provide a date - but do you have a rough guesstimate...something like within 6 months? Failing that - do you know when you might be able to make an announcement on a date if not the availability date itself?

Also - are you also considering ZWave? If not, why not?!?! I would much prefer that, and suffice to say, there would be vastly fewer changes required to get it working here being that the system voltage and frequency are the same as the EU version. They just need to tweak the RF slightly and put different power socket connectors on the appropriate devices (which they would have to do anyway for Insteon)>...

reply:

At present we can't give any dates, as there are too many variables to take into account when dealing with such a large undertaking as manufacturing new goods.

I can see your point on ZWave. Unfortunately the changing of the RF isn't anywhere near as simple as the technology implies.

I have asked them to keep me informed, but as you said - I am not holding me breath!

[colinjones]

Thanks wombiroller - and I note your PM, too.

The response is disingenuous to say the least. Whilst changing an RF frequency isn't as simple as twisting a pot these days, compared with the fundamental changes required to deal with going from 60Hz to 50Hz, its a walk in the park! Comments from Insteon themselves about changing their technology to suit the EU market's 50Hz has made this clear in the past. Frankly, neither are significant changes... so I can only assume that Insteon have made inroads into an EU design and this is leveraged off that.... here's hoping.... nevertheless, that's no reason for smarthome to imply that getting ZWave's RF applicable to the AU standards is a significant task, I mean realllllly! Yes, using a different RF frequency is difficult... look at wifi technology, how many channels are we talking about there, in just a single device, and this just requires a single frequency... the more I think about it the more absurd the statement is! Make any change at all to a board... then include a different crystal and/or divider....

[wombiroller]

Thanks CJ, as always appreciate the guidance.

[dpd]

Despite some of the heavy inaccuracies above as a result of some broadly sweeping assumptions, Z-Wave has now been released in Australia: http://www.smarthome.com.au/zseries/

There I go being disingenuous again.

[wombiroller]

Thanks Daniel! I wouldn't take offense at the above, just AU users expressing frustration at our backwater home automation standards...which you seem to have help put behind us. I for one will be grabbing some items over the next few weeks...

I'm sure others in the AU community will be also.

Cheers,
Adriel.